OU Executive Vice President Emeritus Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb chaired a roundtable in Brooklyn on the subject of Addictions in the Orthodox Jewish Community. The OU sponsored this important event along with NY State Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, who chairs the Alocoholism and Drug Abuse Committee. Most in attendance were mental health professionals, but there were a number of other interested parties. These include community rabbis and lawyers (who deal with drug arrests and family court). The program addressed the prevalence of the problem and the populations it affects, from teens with low self-esteem to the most successful among them. Also discussed was the rise in the abuse of prescription drugs.
